Strawberry almond torte a part of childhood memories

The Fourth of July in my hometown on Lake Tahoe was a huge deal. Heading to the shoreline early in the evening, the locals and tourists would scramble to stake out a blanket-size spot of sand for what was always (at least in a little girl's eyes) the most spectacular display of fireworks ever orchestrated.

Explosions of color in the night sky gave off a double bonus because of the reflection in the crystal clear lake below. The thrill of the Fourth began early in the day with friends and family gathering for a picnic with prized platters in hand - dishes we had waited all year to enjoy.

Andy Kallin was one of those treasured friends. We loved Andy just because he was Andy. But during the July 4th weekend, his claim to fame was his mother's strawberry almond torte. The recipe is more than 100 years old and we loved it enough to beg Andy to make it part of our Fourth of July celebration year after year.

This strawberry almond torte was one of the recipes my momma coveted most, and Mrs. Kallin's original hand-written recipe is still carefully tucked away among Momma's "most treasured recipes of all time." It's a perfectly sweet treat not only for the summertime but also for the holiday season ahead.

Mrs. Kallin's Strawberry Almond Torte

Ingredients:

1 cup shortening (half butter and half margarine)

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup strawberry or raspberry jam

Directions: Cream together shortening and sugar. Add egg and vanilla and mix. Blend in flour and baking powder to form a dough. If the dough is too grainy or crumbly, add one-half tablespoons of cold water. Take a fourth of the dough and set aside for the lattice topping. Roll out the remainder of the dough and place in the bottom of one 10-by-15-inch pan (or two 9-by-9-inch pans). Spread jam evenly over dough.

Ingredients for the topping:

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 cups ground almonds (blanched or with skin)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 cube ( 1/4 pound) butter, melted

Directions: In a food processor, grind almonds to a course meal-like consistency.

In a large bowl, blend together eggs, sugar and salt. Add ground almonds, cinnamon and almond extract. Add melted butter and combine all until well blended. Spoon mixture evenly over jam. Roll out remaining dough and cut into thin strips. Place diagonally over top of torte to form a lattice crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Serve with small dollop of jam on top.

*Note: Recipe may be cut in half

Got a family kitchen memory or heritage recipe? E-mail me at jan@jandatri.com. Or visit www.jandatri.com.

How do you like this column? Please tell us what you think. Email venita.james@arizonarepublic.com.